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Archive for the ‘Navy’ Category

SCUBAPRO Sunday – John Paul Jones, Father of the U.S. Navy

Sunday, July 4th, 2021

Happy Independent Day. This is indeed one of my favorite holidays. For all my British brothers out there, I have attached a video for you. There is also a bonus one at the end.

For his actions and the way he led his man during the Revolutionary War, John Paul Jones is considered the father of the U.S. Navy.

John Paul was born in Kirkcudbright, Scotland on July 6, 1747. He joined the British merchant marine at the age of 12 and went to sea for the first time as a cabin boy.

In 1766, he was appointed the first mate on a slaver brigantine, but he quickly abandoned the trade due to dissatisfaction. In 1769, he was appointed master. In Tobago, West Indies, he killed the leader of his mutinous crew in self-defense in 1773. He then went to Virginia to avoid justice and was labeled a fugitive by the British. By adding the surname Jones, he was able to hide his true identity.

Now going by John Paul Jones, he moved to Philadelphia and joined the Continental Navy when the American Revolution broke out in 1775. On the first American flagship, the Alfred, he was commissioned a lieutenant. In 1776, Jones was promoted to captain and assigned command of the sloop Providence. On his first time at sea as a captain, he went north to Nova Scotia, wrecked British fisheries, and seized sixteen British prize ships.

In 1777 and 1778, he commanded the Ranger, and he had two definite objectives in mind for this deployment. He wanted to carry out hit-and-run operations against opposing coastal fleets first. Aside from the apparent harm to local shipping, it would cause civilian terror along the English, Scottish, and Irish coastlines, forcing British war planners to redirect some of their marine resources from protecting American ports to defending their own.  Second, he sought to kidnap a high-ranking British official and keep him for ransom until imprisoned Americans were released from British prisons or were released from impressment. For his actions, he was given command of five French and American ships. Jones led his squadron off the Scottish coast to capture seven merchantmen. His most famous battle was on September 23, 1779 against the 44-gun Royal Navy ship, Serapis, and one of the bloodiest naval battles in history. That day, even though his ship was burning and sinking, Jones refused to surrender to the British, saying “I have not yet begun to battle”. Serapis surrendered after more than three hours, and Jones assumed charge.

Even being a sailor, he was very well-dressed, wielded a sword, and behaved in a manner of studied decorum, unlike most merchant seafarers. He spoke with a faint Celtic dialect and had a Scottish brogue. He was a severe military master who was obsessive about his honor and obligations, yet surprisingly pleasant. He was a prolific poet and letter writer, knew some French, and was involved in numerous romances while never marrying. No one, above all, questioned his audacity. His maritime operations against the mother country earned him a reputation as a pirate in Britain.

Jones was named rear admiral in the Russian Navy by Russian Empress Catherine the Great in 1788. He participated in the Liman campaign in the Black Sea. Then, in 1789, he quit the Russian service and relocated to Paris. He was then appointed as the United States Consul in Algiers, but he died before his commission arrived. His body was buried in Paris, but after a long search, his perfectly preserved body was recovered and sent to the United States in 1905. Jones’ remains were reinterred in an elegant mausoleum at the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1913, thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt’s intervention.

TacJobs – US Navy SERE Instructor

Saturday, June 19th, 2021

US Navy SERE Instructors are volunteers from various rates across the Navy.

To apply, contact Shore Special Programs at (901) 874-3872 or DSN 882-3872.

SCUBAPRO Sunday – Battle of Midway Medal of Honor

Sunday, June 6th, 2021

The Battle of Midway was fought from 4-6 June 1942. It was a decisive victory for the United States over the Japanese.  

Richard Eugene Fleming was born on November 11, 1917. He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve on 15 December 1939 and applied for flight training so he could join the fight to protect the United States. He was accepted as a cadet by the Federal Government on 25 January 1940 and went through training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. Fleming then joined the services on December 7, 1940 and proceeded to his first duty station at Naval Air Station San Diego. He was assigned to VMF-214, a Marine dive-bombing squadron known as the “Black Sheep Squadron”.

In early December 1941, he and seventeen of his squadron were flying their Vindicators headed out to sea to meet up with the USS Lexington. The team continued to Midway Island and arrived two days before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

There, Fleming would engage in the Battle of Midway. On May 25, 1942, he was promoted to First Lieutenant and days later, on June 5th, under harrowing circumstances, he was promoted to Captain. His heroism was evident in the 2 days he fought in that battle.

On June 4, 1942, the aviators on Midway were informed they had to gather their aircraft and warm up. With their squadron commander, Lofton Henderson, in command, they rumbled off to intercept waves of Japanese fighters. They then launched into the sky and searched for the fleet that was presumed to be lurking nearby.  During the initial Japanese attack on a U.S. aircraft carrier, Fleming took command of the unit when the Squadron Commander Henderson got lost and separated from the others. He then dove to the extreme low altitude of 400 feet, exposing himself to enemy fire in order to score a hit on a Japanese carrier. After failing to drop a warhead on the aircraft carrier, Akagi, his aircraft was damaged but he still managed to bring his plane in for a safe landing at base, as it limped back with 171 holes.  His commanding officer, Henderson, was killed.

The next day, he was promoted to squadron commander and Captain Fleming returned to battle. After sleeping only four hours, he returned to the conflict and led his second division to direct his squadron in a coordinated glide-bombing, dive-bombing, and strafing assault of a Japanese battleship. Heavy anti-aircraft gunfire continued to strike Captain Fleming’s plane and, although riddled with 179 hits by the hail of fire that burst upon him from Japanese fighter guns and antiaircraft batteries, he was not seriously wounded and only suffered two minor injuries.  The heavy antiaircraft strafing caused Fleming’s plane to catch fire and, despite the flames and the threat to his and his gunner’s life, he kept the plane on course. Undeterred by a fatal attempt to glide, he pressed home his attack to an altitude of five hundred feet, and, in a screaming dive at the Japanese cruiser, Mikuma, released his bomb to score an almost direct hit on the stern of his target. Unable to pull out of his dive, Fleming’s plane struck the cruiser and plunged into the sea, his plane a cinder of fire.  He and his aircrat were last seen crashed to the sea in flames.

Captain Richard Fleming was the only man to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during his magnificent stand in the crucial Battle of Midway.  His unwavering dedication and persistence were consistent with the highest principles of the U.S. military.

The Marine died with his gunner, Private First Class George Albert Toms. There is some circumstantial evidence that it might be possible that Fleming deliberately crashed his plane into the battleship with the Mikuma sinking the next day.

For “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty”, Captain Fleming was awarded the nation’s highest military decoration — the Medal of Honor. Private First Class Toms, too, was awarded for his actions with a Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1942, President Franklin Roosevelt presented the Medal of Honor. Fleming’s award, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt states:

“The President of the United States orders the MEDAL OF HONOR to be awarded to Captain Richard E. Fleming, United States Marine Corps Reserve, for extraordinary heroism and conspicuous courage above and beyond the call of duty as Flight Officer, Marine Scouting Bombing Squadron 241, in action against enemy Japanese forces at Midway Island from June 4 through June 5, 1942. When his squadron commander was shot down during the initial spontaneous uprising.”

Private First-Class George Albert Toms’ award reads as follows:

“The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Distinguished Flying Cross (Posthumously) to Private First-Class George A. Toms United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight as a radioman-gunner in Marine Scout Bombing Squadron TWO HUNDRED FORTY-ONE (VMSB-241), during action against enemy Japanese forces in the Battle of Midway, 4 and 5 June 1942. With courageous efficiency and utter disregard for his own personal safety. Private Toms manned a radio and free machine gun in the rear seat of his plane during a search and attack mission against the enemy on the night of 4 June, and again during an assault upon a Japanese battleship on 5 June. Under conditions attendant upon the Battle of Midway, there can be no doubt that he gallantly gave up his life in the service of his country. His conscientious devotion to duty was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.”

Although Captain Richard Fleming has disappeared, there is still much debate as to what happened to him. The USS Fleming, commissioned on September 18, 1943, was named in his honor and his name is listed on the “Tablets of the Missing” at Honolulu Memorial.

Richard Fleming is recognized annually at his high school, Saint Thomas Academy, during the Cadet Colonel Promotion ceremony when he is remembered by the presentation of the “Fleming Saber” to the Cadet Colonel. Since 2008, the military academy has added another award and, in 2014, Governor Dayton proclaimed a day in honor of the Medal of Honor. The proclamation honors three recipients: Richard Fleming, John Espy, and Ted Liggett. He is also mourned in his hometown. In honor of Richard E. Fleming, the former South St. Paul Airport was renamed the Richard E. Fleming Field. Though interred in Arlington National Cemetery, a memorial marker has been placed in Fort Snelling National Cemetery for Captain Fleming.

Lastly, if you decide to watch a movie about the battle of Midway, go for the 1976 version. The producers used a lot of real footage from the battle that was shot by director John Ford during the actual battle. Ford also directed “They were Expendable” and “Mister Roberts”. Although you can tell it is old footage, it does help tell the story. It also has some of the best actors of all time, Charlton Heston, Henry Fonda, and Tom Selleck.

SCUBAPRO Sunday – The Battle of the Coral Sea, May 4-8, 1942  

Sunday, May 2nd, 2021

The Battle of the Coral Sea is known for being the first Naval battle where the two opposing forces never met. It was the birth of the aircraft carrier. No surface ships sank another ship in this battle. It was also one of the Allies’ first victories in the war in the Pacific. It did come at a hefty price for the Allies, at a loss of 1 aircraft carrier, the USS Lexington CV-2, 1 Destroyer USS Sims DD-409, 1 oiler USS Neosho AO-23, 69 aircraft and 656 people killed; the USS Yorktown was also significantly damaged. The Lexington was so severely damaged that the U.S. sank it with torpedoes the day after the battle. The Japanese lost 1 Light strike carrier (Jeep Carrier), 1 destroyer, 3 small warships, 97 aircraft, and 966 people killed.

The Allies learned of the intended plan of the Japanese to seize Port Moresby in New Guinea. The Japanese wanted to take control of the Coral Sea and use it as a staging base to invade Australia. When the Japanese landed at Tulagi on May 3, carrier-based U.S. planes from a Task Force 17 struck the landing group, sinking one destroyer and some minesweepers and landing barges. Most of the naval units covering the main Japanese invasion force that left Rabaul, New Britain, for Port Moresby on May 4 took a route to the east, where they clashed with TF17.

On May 5 and 6, 1942, opposing carrier groups sought each other and, on the morning of May 7, Japanese carrier-based planes sank a U.S. destroyer and an oiler. Allied planes sank the light carrier Shoho and a cruiser. The next day Japanese aircraft crippled the U.S. carrier Lexington and damaged the carrier Yorktown. U.S. planes crippled the sizeable Japanese carrier Shokaku so bad that it had to retreat away from the battle. So many Japanese planes were lost that the Port Moresby invasion force, without adequate air cover and harassed by Allied land-based bombers, turned back to Rabaul.

The four-day engagement was a strategic victory for the Allies. The battle, which U.S. Adm. Ernest J. King described as “the first major engagement in naval history in which surface ships did not exchange a single shot,” foreshadowed the kind of carrier warfare that marked later fighting in the Pacific War.

My Stepfather was on the Lexington during this battle. He was a Water Tender (today’s Machinist’s Mates) in a boiler room when a Japanese torpedo slammed into it. After they abandoned the Lady Lex, he spent the next month and a half making his way back to San Diego before he could get any new clothes and a new sea bag. Like every good sailor, he went out and got drunk, lost his seabag and was arrested by shore patrol. He ended up in the brig and had to rent a seabag so he could get out because without a full seabag he would have had to stay in jail. He was one of the most significant people in my life and one of the biggest reasons I joined the Navy. He joined in 1939 and had great pride in being in the Navy. He had left Pearl Harbor on December 6, 1941, so they could bring planes to Midway. He was supposed to get out in early 1942, but stayed in for the duration of the war.

A little over two years ago, the USS Lexington was found at the bottom of the Coral Sea, and she was seen for the first time since she was lost so long ago. God bless all the sailors and airmen who are still interned in her and never had a chance to be someone’s Stepfather or live their lives.

news.usni.org/2018/03/05/video-billionaire-paul-allen-finds-lost-world-war-ii-carrier-uss-lexington

Modernizing the Naval Selection Process

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

UH Psychologist to Develop Virtual Reality Personality Assessment
Houston, March 17 — Recruiting and selecting the proper sailors for specific tasks in the U.S. Navy has proven tricky, with costs rising yearly as the military seeks to match sailors with appropriate specialties. A University of Houston professor of psychology and a team of collaborators is out to save the military money and streamline the process by developing a new personnel selection process, the Manpower and Personnel Assessment Battery (MPAB). 

“Our process is cost-effective and portable and selects the most promising applicants, assisting in their placement into military occupational specialties paths that maximize their talent,” said Elena Grigorenko, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Psychology and director of the Human Genetics Lab at UH. “Our method combines virtual reality technology, physiological makers, and real-time data analytics to assess manpower multidimensionally.”  

The Office of Naval Research awarded Grigorenko and her colleagues $2.2 million to develop the MPAB. The firm McAllister & Quinn was instrumental in connecting the U.S. Navy with the University. 

The MPAB will create a unique opportunity to assess manpower multidimensionally while the individual is engaged in a virtual reality environment. It will also integrate hardware and software that can track sleep patterns, physical exhaustion, and cognitive load to model a variety of situations that may arise while performing Naval jobs.   

For baseline data, the team will collect biomarkers that can interpret the underlying physiology related to a person going through different conditions. 

“From the participants’ saliva samples, we will generate hormonal patterns, genome structural variant analyses and whole epigenome (DNA methylation) profiling,” said Grigorenko. “We will use the latest and greatest technology in the field to make sure the selection of military personnel for specific jobs is more precise.” 

The MPAB will also use state of the art eye-tracking technology and additional hardware to track the biometric data (e.g., heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure, respiration, electroencephalography). The MPAB is designed to be administered repeatedly under different circumstances, to gauge maximum performance, and to capture learning potential with both cognitive and biological indicators. 

“The use of expert sailors’ multidimensional profiles in the data-analytics will also permit individualized Navy vocation counseling. This will decrease the costs of unproductive training and premature termination of services while increasing the returns from learning that focuses on strengths and compensates for weaknesses,” said Grigorenko. 

SCUBAPRO SUNDAY – The Battle of Hampton Roads

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

The Battle of Hampton Roads took place in March 1862 in Virginia during the American Civil War. The battle is considered historically significant, although it did not yield a definitive outcome, as it was the first time that ironclad warships met head-to-head. This battle effectively made all wooden naval ships obsolete, especially those of Great Britain and France, and forced them to shift towards an all-ironclad fleet.

President Lincoln ordered a blockade in the spring of 1861, shortly after the war outbreak, of the ports of those states that had declared their secession from the Union. By the end of April, the blockade had been extended to the anchorage near the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads in Virginia. This was of great strategic significance because it marked the Nansemond and Elizabeth Rivers’ confluence with the James River. Due to their base at Norfolk and the Portsmouth navy yard, Confederate forces occupied the south side of the river.

To protect the navy yard, the Confederacy installed two batteries at Craney Island and Sewell’s Point. However, Fort Monroe, and thus the closest part of the Virginia Peninsula, remained in the Union’s hands. The Confederate forces were almost entirely stopped from traveling between Richmond and Norfolk and the ocean until the blockade began to be enforced. The siege was strengthened by the strong ships of the Union, strategically put beyond the range of the Confederate batteries but under the protection of those of the Union. This standstill when on for almost a year

The US was far behind other countries when it came to updating their Navy. Several ironclads were built during the Crimean War, primarily designed to fight forts. In 1859 the French made an “ironclad frigate” called La Gloire. It was 250 feet long, carried 38 cannons, was covered in over 4 inches of iron, and could travel 12 knots. To keep up with France, Britain built the HMS Warrior (picture above) in 1860, the largest Ironclad. By 1862 Britain and France had 16 ironclads completed or under construction, and Austria, Italy, Russia, and Spain were building them. It was generally recognized that ironclad warships would be the future of naval warfare.

While France and Britain already had ironclad warships, the United States Navy was unconvinced of the armored ships’ value. Therefore, the Confederacy was the first to begin construction on their Ironclad (CSS Virginia). It was not designed from scratch, which would have taken almost a year because of the need to operate quickly, but instead made up from the ruined hull of the sunken USS Merrimack. The ship’s bow was mounted with an iron ram, while it was armed with ten guns. Two-inch thick armor plates, an improvement from the initial one-inch specification, were introduced. Called CSS Virginia, in February 1862, the vessel was eventually commissioned.

Meanwhile, the Union command had received news that the Confederacy wanted to build an ironclad ship. This caused serious concern, and the Union’s Ironclad’s construction, the USS Monitor, was approved by Congress. The most noteworthy feature of this vessel was that it had only two large-caliber guns, mounted in a large cylindrical turret that could rotate thanks to a steam engine’s control. This greatly reduced the manpower required for the armaments of the ship.   Eight-inch-thick iron plates coated the entire turret. The USS Monitor was commissioned just a few days after the CSS Virginia. 

The battle of Hampton roads lasted two days, with Virginia commanded by Franklin Buchanan and Monitor captain John L. Worden, although neither man was officially in overall command. Intending to mount a direct assault, Buchanan sent Virginia into Hampton Roads early on March 8. Five more ships followed the ship’s route. In the meantime, the Union also had five ships, accompanied by some support vessels, into the bay. Near Fort Monroe, several other ships were moored; one of these was the Roanoke, which ran aground as the USS Virginia approached and two additional vessels. Two of the three were taken out of the battle; the third, Minnesota’s frigate, later returned to action.

Virginia struck the USS Cumberland after a very small skirmish early in the day, ramming the ship and creating a hole below the waterline. With the loss of more than 120 lives, the ship sank rapidly. However, despite this success, Virginia herself was lucky not to go down because the ram of the ship had been stuck in the Cumberland hull. Virginia then advanced on the USS Congress, whose captain had told her to run aground to prevent the Cumberland’s fate from being repeated. The condition of the USS Congress, however, was hopeless after an hour, and Smith surrendered. Buchanan, who wanted to fire on the USS Congress with red-hot cannonballs, was enraged by Union shore guns. The ship caught fire, burning fiercely until it blew up that night as the flames entered its gunpowder store.

By now, Virginia herself had suffered some damage, making the already slow ship even more sluggish, while Buchanan was injured when a rifle shot hit his thigh. Meanwhile, the James River Squadron invaded Minnesota, and now Virginia joined the assault, but its deep draft made it difficult to get near, and as night fell, the attack was called off. Virginia instead returned to the Confederacy-controlled waters, hoping to return the next morning. The Union forces had lost 400 men and two ships at this point, with three more on the ground; the Confederacy had suffered two casualties and had maintained all its ships.

This was the worst loss the United States ever experienced. Before the Second World War, the Navy Secretary of War Edwin Stanton warned that Virginia could even manage to fire shells at the White House, but he was told that this would not happen because the ship was too huge for the river Potomac. Nevertheless, to secure Union ships and avoid Monitor from attacking its towns, Monitor was transferred to Hampton Roads as soon as possible. Captain Worden was ordered to defend Minnesota, and he took over the nearby station. On March 9, Virginia arrived at daybreak and assaulted the Monitor.

The Confederate commanders, who initially thought the ship was simply a boiler being towed down the river for repairs, were startled by the peculiar nature of the Monitor. However, once the ship’s true nature became apparent, a long war began, lasting several hours. Virginia opened with a shot toward Monitor; Minnesota was missing and struck, causing the ship to fire in response to a broadside. Since both ironclad ships were more robust in their defense than they were offensively and were capable of completely piercing the armor plating of the opposing ship without ammunition, neither side could make a decisive breakthrough.

After a few hours, a freak occurrence ended the battle: a wayward shell from Virginia hit the pilothouse of the Monitor, exploding. Worden was temporarily blinded by the debris, which forced Monitor to draw back before the executive officer, Lieutenant Samuel Dana Greene, could take over command. While Monitor returned to the fray then, Virginia’s crew was under the impression that she had withdrawn entirely. Jones chose to take her back to Norfolk because of this, along with the fact that Virginia herself had suffered considerable damage. To find her opponent going away, Monitor returned to the scene, and Greene misinterpreted the move as a retreat.

Virginia spent several weeks doing repairs to a dry dock. The blockade of the Union, meanwhile, was strengthened, with some new ironclads taking part. There was a standoff in which both the CSS Virginia captains and the USS Monitor refused to engage the other ship in action. The decision to leave Norfolk was made by Major General Benjamin Huger of the Confederacy on May 9, as it is now of limited strategic significance. Since Virginia was too big to travel upriver, she was intentionally sunk on her side to avoid causing her to be captured. The fate of the Monitor was different: she sank in a storm in December after being sent to North Carolina.

The fight, overall, was a draw. There were considerably more men and ships lost by the Union, but the vital blockade remained intact. The war of the Ironclads captured the attention of many other navies on a global scale. In particular, Russia, Britain, and France hurried to build ironclads, many of which were highly inspired by the USS Monitor in their designs. Rams were also used in several such ships. However, this innovation was something of a dead-end, as naval guns were sufficiently powerful by 1900 to make it almost impossible for close encounters between ships.

Rocky Brands Awarded US Navy Contract for New Safety Boot

Wednesday, January 27th, 2021

NELSONVILLE, Ohio – Rocky Brands (NASDAQ: RCKY) has been awarded a contract worth approximately $3.5 million to produce a new safety boot for the U.S. Navy. Rocky will begin the manufacturing process immediately with deliveries to begin in the third quarter of 2021.

“Rocky has been a provider of military footwear for generations, and our relationship with the U.S. military is an integral part of our brand and our heritage,” said Jason Brooks, CEO of Rocky Brands. “It is an honor every time we are selected to produce reliable, performance-specific footwear for our servicemen and women.”

The agreement between Rocky and the U.S. Navy is for one year with an option to extend the contract for an additional two years. It is Rocky Brands’ third active contract with the U.S. Navy. The company also has an active contract to produce footwear for the Army.

The new eight-inch naval safety boot will be manufactured at Rocky’s company-owned factory in Puerto Rico.

Rocky Brands, Inc. is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of premium quality footwear and apparel marketed under a portfolio of well recognized brand names including Rocky®, Georgia Boot®, Durango® and Lehigh®. More information can be found at RockyBrands.com.

SCUBAPRO Sunday – BMCM (MDV) Carl Brashear

Sunday, January 24th, 2021

Master Diver Carl Brashear was born on January 19, 1931, in Tonieville, Kentucky. He joined the Navy in Feb 1948. A 31-year Navy veteran, Brashear retired in 1979 as a Master Chief Boatswain’s Mate, the highest enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy. In 1966 while diving to recover a lost nuclear weapon off Spain’s coast, Brashear was severely injured in an accident. As a result, surgeons amputated his left leg below the knee. He refused to submit to a medical board’s attempt to retire him as unfit for duty. After demonstrating that he could still dive and perform his other duties, he was assigned to Harbor Clearance Unit 2, Naval Air Station Norfolk, Experimental Diving Unit. He was the first person to be returned to full service as a Navy diver after losing a limb in a diving salvage accident. There was a movie made about him in 2000 called Men of Honor. Master Chief Brasher was everything a good senior leader should be; he led from the front, he didn’t take no for an answer when he knew he was right, took care of the people below him, and left the Navy a better place then he found it.

Below, Carl training after he lost his leg, getting back to full active duty status.

usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2018/01/16/overcoming-hurdles-the-legacy-of-master-chief-carl-brashear